


FE Polyship Week 2017: Many Cuddles

by Squishy (BurbleJerry)



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, FE Polyship Week 2017, Fluff, Foreplay, Hidden Truths Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-23 12:44:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11990052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurbleJerry/pseuds/Squishy
Summary: A prompt for each day of FE Polyship Week 2017! Beware, for most of them ended up with cuddling and fluff involved. The prompt-fill pairing & tags will be updated for each day and put in the description below [the rating is for a few fics later in the week].Sunday: Dream/Cozy [Owain/Gerome/Inigo/Brady. Fluff, Cuddling, Angst, Minerva's also there and awesome]Monday: Date/Sweet [Laslow/Odin/Niles. Fluff, Cuddling, Light Angst, Sexual Innuendo, tea and cookies]Tuesday: Morning/Noon/Evening [Owain/Gerome/Laurent/Brady. Injury, Fluff, throughout-a-day]Wednesday: Whisper/Gaze/Touch [Owain/Noire/Brady. Foreplay, Implied Sexual Content, time constraints on my part]Thursday: Bonds/Family/Home [Odin/Leo/Niles. Fluff, Light Angst, Implied Sexual Content]Friday: Fear/Security [Owain/Noire/Brady. Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, lots of sad]Saturday: Free Day [Owain/Noire/Inigo/Brady. Fluff, Light Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Hidden Truths Spoilers]





	1. Sunday: Dream/Cozy

**Author's Note:**

> Owain/Gerome/Inigo/Brady: the first polyship I ever had for FE. I don’t ship it as much anymore, but it’s nice to write again, and I hope y’all enjoy. I swear this was way fluffier as a rough draft, whoops.

Gerome was the last to settle against Minerva. He wanted to double-check that the clearing was safe, he claimed, yet he was spurred on by the pale glint of Minerva’s newest scar in the sunlight. The wyvern eyed him, and he met her gaze briefly. She was fine and he worried too much; if she cared to speak at that moment, he knew she would be telling him that.

With a sigh, Gerome leaned back against her scales and turned his mind to other things. Specifically, how much it touched him that his dear wyvern trusted his lovers. It had taken awhile, but she was at the point where she allowed them to recline against her without agitation.

Only a moment after Gerome finally relaxed, he felt a certain someone decide to use his left shoulder as a headrest. He barely glanced over, already knowing it was Inigo. The mercenary met his glance and smiled; the expression reminded Gerome of the cat that got the cream. Inigo re-settled with a happy sigh, sliding an arm around Gerome’s.

Glancing to his right, Gerome noted that his other cuddly partner was preoccupied. Owain was busy scribbling some sort of writing, no doubt heroic and fictional, into his Manual of Justice. Gerome knew that Owain usually wrote alone, outside camp or in his tent, for fear of mockery. But with time, he’d become comfortable enough to indulge in this particular quirk around his lovers. He even paused to glance at Gerome, a wide grin on his face before pen was set to paper with an excited vengeance.

Gerome lifted his gaze, taking note of the tall priest sitting next to Owain. Brady was as preoccupied as the swordsman, but his grumbling, careful demeanor was quite the opposite of Owain’s silent, yet frenzied writing. The healer was busy with his violin, polishing the well-used instrument and taking care of any little imperfections in the wood. Minerva lifted her head and sniffed at the violin, earning an affectionate mutter and pat on the snout from Brady.

For a few moments, it was blissfully peaceful. Gerome was content to simply enjoy their company, until he noticed Owain staring thoughtfully at him. He raised a brow, and Owain startled as if just realizing that Gerome noticed his gaze.

“Ah! Sorry, I was just caught up in visions of the future,” Owain explained as he closed his journal with reserved care.

“... Such as?” Gerome asked, pushing back the regret rising up inside. Owain’s eyes lit up at the question, one he’d obviously wanted asked.

“Imagine, my masked knight,” Owain began, grin widening at Gerome’s faint blush, “the war is over, our mission is successful. Five heroes, left without purpose-”

“Are you talking about our idea to travel around and perform?” Inigo interrupted, lazily adjusting his head upon Gerome’s shoulder so that he was mostly facing Owain. Gerome stiffened slightly.

“Just so!” Owain exclaimed, “Wouldn’t it be cool? I mean, I know it’ll be awhile before the war’s over, but I can’t wait! Free of Risen, free of apocalyptic worries, going wherever the wind takes us...”

“Should be great,” Brady muttered, still half-distracted with the finishing touches for his instrument, “But we can’t get too excited. Haven’t even done what we came here to do yet.”

“I know that,” Owain whined, deflating briefly, “But, I was thinking, what will Gerome do?”

“I won’t dance,” Gerome said definitively, even before Inigo suggested it, again. Inigo pouted, as usual. 

“Minerva and I will leave after the war.”

Silence met his response; Gerome wasn’t surprised, and he leaned back against the wyvern as if the conversation were over. Forming ties in this world was a mistake, one that would only lead to heartache. It was bad enough-

“What?!” Inigo interrupted Gerome’s musings, staring down at the wyvern rider as if he’d lost his mind. As if they hadn’t edged around this very conversation many times before. “But, but,” Inigo sputtered. Soon enough, the topic would be dropped in favor of not thinking about their inevitable separation, or so Gerome thought. 

Owain dropped his journal altogether, getting in Gerome’s face within seconds, “You can’t! You’re the glue that brought us together-”

“Not really,” Gerome corrected, yet Owain continued. 

“-The hero we love, yet don’t deserve! The companion we need! How would we go on without you to fill the hole in our hearts?” Owain ended on an oddly high-pitched note, and Gerome realized his eyes were glossy. Great.

“I’m not gone yet,” Gerome gruffly stated, looking towards Brady for support. But the priest was looking away, for whatever reason.

“Please, please don’t go,” Owain whined, and Gerome found it difficult to look away from his gaze, “You don’t have to perform with us, even! I just want your company, and, and we’ll be traveling, so you don’t have to worry about settling anywhere, and Minerva will be able to fly around as she likes, and…” Owain trailed off when he noticed Inigo shaking his head. The mercenary’s pout had become a bitter frown.

“There’s no point. He’ll just cling to his loner persona and be all broody,” Inigo muttered, “And… if he wants to go, we can’t stop him. Right, Brady? That’s what you said last time.”

“... Yeah,” Brady mumbled, voice betraying his tears, “It’s his life.”

Gerome stared at the back of Brady’s head for a moment, and beyond him, saw Minerva lift her own black-scaled snout and regard the upset humans. She voiced her opinion in her usual growly manner, making Brady and Owain jump. 

Gerome sighed, “You want to travel too, Minerva?” A rumble was her answer, insistent in her wishes.

“Oh, so Minerva says something, and suddenly you change your mind,” Inigo grumbled, and Gerome winced when he went on, “She can’t be your excuse to avoid socializing if she wants to travel, too, is that it?” 

“Hey,” Brady interrupted, turning and rubbing at his face, “Gods’ sake, Inigo, the war’s not even done yet. He can decide then, alright?”

“But…” Owain began, pausing as he eyed Brady’s red-rimmed eyes and constant sniffles, “... ok. We should just enjoy Gerome’s dark presence until then,” and with that attempt at a cheery declaration, Owain threw his arms around Gerome’s neck and buried his face around said part. Gerome startled, but awkwardly wrapped an arm around the swordsman. Glancing to his right, Gerome noticed that Inigo refused to look at him.

“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” Gerome managed, and Inigo perked up slightly.

“... Thanks,” Inigo mumbled, turning to lean against Gerome again, “... I’m sorry. I just… I can’t stand the thought of losing you. Not after everything we’ve been through.” Feeling a bit guilty, Gerome nodded and slid his other arm around Inigo, pulling the mercenary close against his side. 

Brady sniffed and scooted closer, until his hip bumped against Gerome’s. Owain pulled away from Gerome to half-climb into Brady’s lap, sitting inelegantly between them in an attempt to cuddle both at once. The healer had to shift to give Owain space, smiling despite his sniffles, “Ya big dork.”

“I can’t leave my soulmates trapped in sorrow,” Owain countered, awkwardly doing his best to hug both Brady and Gerome, though the arm meant for the wyvern rider struggled to reach out to Inigo, too, “We must treasure our time together, while we aren’t saving the world!”

Brady shook his head and rested it atop Owain’s skull. Gerome eyed the two of them, and how close his trio of partners were to him, both physically and emotionally. He kept telling himself he would leave, that the world would be better off that way, but part of him was growing to accept that maybe he could be happy here, in this world, with those he loved. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing.

“I’m uncomfortable just looking at you,” Inigo teased, already in a better mood, though not fully. Owain pouted, and Inigo added, “Really, you’re liable to knee Brady at this rate.”

“Well, hold on,” Owain began, and got back into Gerome’s lap, “There, better?” Gerome had to shift, again, to accommodate, and he sighed half-heartedly, as if he didn’t enjoy the company. Which he did.

“I suppose,” Inigo said, leaning up to peck first Owain’s cheek, then Gerome’s. Brady shook his head again at their silliness, yet he still rested against Gerome’s side. With Inigo doing the same on his opposite side, and Minerva content behind them, Gerome felt very wanted.

Maybe traveling the world they saved wouldn’t be such a bad thing, in the future.


	2. Monday: Date/Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin/Laslow/Niles. Laslow on a tea date with his lovely partners.

Laslow was early, but that didn’t stop him from looking around every few moments, or from glancing at the sky to judge the time. They had visited this town rarely in the past, and Laslow marked this particular little cafe as a point of interest. Now that his liege was busy, and accompanied by Peri besides, the mercenary and his lovers had been dismissed to enjoy the town for the day. Sure, if something came up, they would have to abandon their plans… no, Laslow shook his head of the thought. He’d arrived early, so of course they wouldn’t be here yet. Maybe waiting outside wasn’t a good use of his time.

Just as Laslow was about to walk inside the cafe, he spotted a pair of familiar figures in the distance. They had just turned the corner of some store Laslow didn’t care about, and spotted him a moment after he spotted them. Before Laslow could even start to, the yellower of the pair ran right into him, nearly knocking the mercenary over.

“Laslow of the Azure Skies!” Odin proclaimed with a warm laugh as he pulled Laslow into an even warmer hug, “I hope you weren’t waiting for us too long, my love.”

“Not at all,” Laslow assured him, returning Odin’s barrage of kisses as much as he could. He pulled away reluctantly, grasping Odin’s hand to forestall his pouting. “Shall we head in? They have some tables outside, behind the cafe, and they aren’t busy right now so the view will be all ours.”

“No one to watch us today, hm?” Niles cooed, stepping around Odin to smirk at Laslow. That defiant expression always softened around the other two, though Laslow was sure Niles would deny it.

“Nope,” Laslow purred, flushing slightly despite himself. He wasn’t even sure if Niles was being dirty, but it was hard not to take every sentence the outlaw said that way. Clearing his throat, Laslow opened the door of the cafe and motioned inside, “After you, my lovelies~”

“Why thank you, my love,” Odin responded with a smile bright enough to set Laslow’s heart alight. As Niles began to follow after the mage, he stopped, turned, and pressed his lips to Laslow’s with such sudden passion that the mercenary’s heart kept fluttering even after Niles broke away, smirked, and walked inside.

Laslow stepped in after Niles, barely closing the door behind him before in his haste. They made their way behind the cafe, where a number of tables and chairs were set out in a grassy outdoor setting. Laslow motioned to one of the table sets near the trees, kept shaded and cool by the shadows and breeze.

Because this date was his idea, Laslow felt obligated to play the part of host. A role he enjoyed, such as when he pulled chairs out for Odin and Niles, letting them sit first. Of course, this let him easily kiss them as they say, and he grinned still when taking his own seat.

Their table for the afternoon was made of lacquered wood, circular in shape, with tasteful mats and matching chairs. Said chairs were arranged so that they were equal distances from each other, which apparently bothered Odin. The mage tried to reach for the hands of his lovers, but the space between chairs made it so he had to half-lay on the table. 

Their waiter came outside to take their orders, sparing the sprawling Odin a confused glance before heading back into the cafe. Niles snickered.

“Shall we scoot closer?” Niles suggested, already doing so as soon as Odin perked at his words. Laslow shook his head with a smile, yet he also moved his chair nearer the mage.

“Happy now?” Niles asked, as if exasperated. But his slight smile betrayed him, especially when Odin’s hug made it all the more prominent. 

“Your presence brings eternal joy to my heart,” Odin declares as he spends a solid minute shamelessly nuzzling the outlaw. Laslow sighs loudly, causing Odin to break away with a laugh, “Worry not, Laslow, for without you, my heart is not whole.”

“So, I make you happy, but he makes you whole? I see how it is,” Niles teased, causing Odin to sputter as Laslow laughed.

“Wait, that’s… I mean to say--” but Niles lips silenced the mage.

“I know,” Niles murmured when he pulled away, letting affection show in his gaze for just a moment. Odin leaned in to resume the kiss, and Niles leaned around him to meet Laslow’s lips instead, grinning when Odin protested.

“Such a tease,” Laslow joked when they broke apart, smiling at Niles’ grin.

“That’s my line, you know. I might just have to punish you for using it,” Niles purred, right as their waiter returned. They hesitated, as if regretting many life choices in the span of moments. Niles turned and just grinned at them, “Yes?”

“Your… your order,” they stammered, setting the dainty cups and fancy teapot and cookie-laden plate down before hurrying away. Laslow realized he was still staring after them, and he just knew his face was bright red. Odin coughed, and when Laslow remained still, the mage took it upon himself to pour them each some tea.

“They’ll get over it,” Niles commented as he took a cookie for himself, completely unconcerned. When Laslow stared into his tea cup, contemplating all the worst-case scenarios, Niles sighed and added, “Don’t worry about it. Here, cheer up,” and offered Laslow the cookie he’d just taken.

“Thanks,” Laslow muttered, nibbling on the cookie. Feeling better, he sipped at his tea and looked out over the clearing. It as simple, but pretty. Absently, he remarked, “Lord Xander informed me that we may be leaving tomorrow.”

“I see,” Niles commented neutrally. They would have to part ways that night, and the thought that this was their only time together for the next few days dampened the mood. Briefly.

Laslow frowned as he dwelled on this, then yelped when Odin’s arms were flung around him, almost causing him to spill tea all over the cookies. “Odin, gods’ sake!”

“Sorry, but I couldn’t abide that sorrow upon your fair face,” Odin proclaimed, kissing the blush across Laslow’s cheeks, “Our date today is already wonderful, and we shall repay you for it once we return home.”

“‘We’? That’s quite an assumption, Odin, but I guess I don’t mind,” Niles teased, reaching around Odin to lightly tickle Laslow’s side. The mercenary yelped and glared at Niles, though he appreciated their efforts. 

“You two, I swear,” Laslow muttered good-naturedly as he set his cup down, “How will you enjoy the tea if you keep hugging me, hm?” Odin paused, then pecked Laslow’s cheek, “Your love warms me more than tea ever could,” and as Laslow blushed, he let go to finish off his cup.

They enjoyed tea and cookies for roughly half an hour. It had been too long, Laslow reflected, since they could spend time together in such a nice place; he would miss this tea shop. Eventually, Niles got their attention.

“Time to go,” Niles said, with some regret. He stood and stretched, and Laslow watched Odin do the same.

“Well, it was fun,” Laslow muttered, standing slower. As soon as his chair was pushed in, Odin was already hugging him again; to his surprise, so was Niles. “Wh-”

“Come now, we’ve been together long enough, haven’t we?” Niles cooed, before his tone became softer, “This was… nice. I… appreciated this, Laslow.” The mercenary felt his cheeks flush, growing redder when Odin grinned at them both.

“See, Niles? I told you this would be great,” the mage asserted, to which Niles grunted. Was he embarrassed, too? 

Laslow smiled at the thought, even as Niles looked away and added, “We should get going.”

“Right. Let’s go,” Laslow murmured, kissing them both before they left the shop. Outside, they headed for where their lieges’ said to meet up, already assuming the poise of professional retainers. There would be time for lovers later.


	3. Tuesday: Morning/Afternoon/Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owain/Gerome/Laurent/Brady. Originally meant to be more of a throughout-a-day sort of vignette, but it became a little bit more detailed.

Laurent squinted in the bright morning light, just now cresting the horizon. He figured the fighting waned, from the sounds of triumphant hollers in the distance and the lessening of weapons clashing. But for him, cut-off from the Shepherds and surrounded by Plegian soldiers, the fight was far from over. 

Laurent barely dodged an unfriendly fireball, stumbling as he did so. His leg throbbed, a dull reminder of the cut he’d sustained earlier in his futile attempt to escape. Logically, he knew he had little chance to survive this encounter alone. But despite knowing his odds, he didn’t intend to go down without taking out as many of the enemy as he could. Even as a Plegian axeman charged for him, taking admirable advantage of his stumble, Laurent mentally prepared for his final, violent, moments alive.

“DRAGON ASCENT!” shouted a very familiar voice, and steel clashed with steel. The axe flew wide of it’s mark, easily missing the limping mage. Owain kicked the fighter down, knocking him out quickly. Yet even with the swordsman grinning at Laurent in triumph, the mage knew it would be tough if just the two of them tried to survive. How, Laurent wondered, did Owain even get through to him?

Then fire rained down on the Plegians from above, followed shortly by a dive-bombing dragon and her rider, all claws and fangs and axe. Question answered, Laurent assisted his rescuers with wind and fire, setting their foes to death or flight.

Minerva landed and, not a moment later, Gerome hopped off. He strode towards Laurent in two broad strides, and the mage recognized his furrowed brow and squared jaw as irritation. Or concern, but Laurent knew it was likely both.

“That’s not required,” Laurent assured as Gerome stood at his injured side, making as if to help him walk. “I can ambulate to camp in due time.” Gerome stared at him, silent, for a moment that was becoming uncomfortable. Owain coughed.

“This is faster,” Gerome finally responded, and with a shrug, Laurent let the masked rider help him atop Minerva. The trip to the healers would certainly be faster this way, though Laurent knew his leg would ache horribly from the flight. 

“Meet you back at camp,” Owain promised, watching them lift off before heading back, himself. Laurent found the concern touching. Then he found the take-off deeply unpleasant with his injured leg. By the time they reached camp, he was holding Gerome so tightly that his arms had to be pried off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I must convalesce for approximately two days, correct?” Laurent asked. Brady eyed him over one final time, triple-checking his work in the thin midday light that shone through the tent, before he nodded. After the latest skirmish, Laurent found himself sitting on the edge of a cot in the medical tent. Beside him, Owain waited patiently to be seen, though the swordsman wasn’t as injured.

“Yeah, two days. Try not to walk too much,” Brady added as he stepped over to Owain, “Your turn.”

While Owain chattered through Brady’s healing, Laurent pondered on what to do with his free time. Normally, he would check on troop morale, take inventory, and do other tasks that required him to walk around. He could catch up on his reading, if nothing else.

“You just gotta rest today, and you’ll be fine,” Brady announced, the words snapping Laurent out of his thoughts.

“Thank you, Sir Brady! I feel as good as new,” Owain declared, practically leaping off the cot and pulling the priest into a hug. Owain regretted it an instant later, is his slight wince was anything to go by.

“Hey! I said rest,” Brady chided, though he pecked Owain gently despite his irritated tone, “Just don’t overdo it today, ya dork.”

“Worry not, I would never seek to undo your work,” Owain promised. Brady smiled, and after a moment longer, gently broke their embrace.

“Alright, I gotta patch up other people now. See ya both later,” though Brady hesitated a moment, before stepping in front of Laurent to peck his cheek, too, “You better rest up today, ya hear?” Then he left the tent. Owain smiled and pecked Laurent’s other cheek, if only to watch the mage turn redder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The stars were barely visible in the sky. What remained of the sun’s light shone upon half of the world, while the other side welcomed the coming night. Laurent tried to make out what constellations he could, but too few stars were yet hidden from view. 

Next to the mage, Gerome was also staring at the sky. Laurent doubted the wyvern rider sought constellations or knowledge; he was certain Gerome’s thoughts were turned inward, despite where his gaze rested. They were both awkward when it came to affection, yet Laurent reached over and quietly grasped Gerome’s hand. He felt Gerome tense, at first, then squeeze his hand lightly. 

To Laurent’s other side, Brady was snoring on the grass. The battle earlier had been rough on everyone, and that included the healers. Laurent didn’t mind, of course, since rest was a valuable commodity in times of war. He would consider holding Brady’s hand too, but he didn’t want to wake the poor guy up.

Lying next to Brady was Owain, who gazed at the sky in wonder. Most likely, he was daydreaming about more of his heroic tales. Laurent would have to pry him for his thoughts later.

A short distance away, Minerva basked in the last few slivers of sunlight. She seemed relaxed, at first glance, but Laurent noted how her eyes darted to and fro. As alert as her rider, and as protective as him, too, even if Gerome didn’t like to admit it.

Laurent looked back to the sky, letting his mind wander among thoughts and theories. He couldn’t neglect his quest for knowledge, after all, not even in recovery. The presence of his partners made it easier to stay still, and they did so for much of the night.


	4. Wednesday: Whisper/Gaze/Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owain/Noire/Brady. This was originally going to be more cuddling, but then I was like ‘this has to fit the prompts better’ and before I knew it, the rating almost went up. Almost, except I don’t quite have the time to write anything more intense that would meet my standards

Brady had only intended to spend the night sleeping. Nestled between Owain and Noire, with night falling in earnest and soft conversation dwindled to comfortable silence, he began to doze off. 

At first, Brady thought the slow caress across his chest to be idle. Owain’s nuzzling became kissing, gentle and brief, peppered up Brady’s neck to his ear. Brady squirmed, half-asleep status quickly fading with Owain’s attention.

Noire chose that moment to lean in, her kisses slower than Owain’s, yet lingering longer. She dotted them along Brady’s neck and lower, across his shoulder, tugging his shirt aside for space.

“Awful touchy tonight,” Brady mumbled, quick to quiver when Owain’s lips settled by his ear. 

“Is this ok, my love?” Owain whispered, and after a moment, Brady nodded. At that moment, Owain kissed him soundly, ran his hand through Brady’s styled hair, moulded himself against Brady’s side.

Brady had a moment to breathe once Owain broke away, only for Noire to press their lips together. Shivering when Owain’s cold hands slid up his nightshirt, staring into Noire’s half-lidded eyes, Brady closed his eyes and relaxed.

Or so he tried, until Noire broke away to let his shirt slide off. Brady sat up, keenly feeling the cool air until Noire settled in his lap and resumed their kiss. Feeling Owain settle behind him, Brady leaned back against his boyfriend’s broad chest even as he embraced his girlfriend’s toned frame. Owain’s peppered kisses became rougher, just enough to leave a few marks across Brady’s neck. His outfit would hide them later, and Brady was silently thankful for Owain’s thoughtfulness.

Brady inhaled sharply when he felt Owain’s calloused fingertips settle upon his nipples, circling and teasing them gently. When he realized the cold was all-too-swiftly replacing his partners’ warmth, Brady reluctantly broke away from Noire to mutter, “Gotta close the tent up.”

“I’ll handle it,” Owain promised, though Brady mourned the loss of body heat. As Owain made sure the tent was sealed, Noire gently pushed Brady down, and their lips met once more. He felt Owain return to his side, hands already roving despite the darkness he loved. The rest of the night was spent slowly, marked only when gentle touches somehow intensified, when their slow pace reached a crescendo, and finally, they dozed.

Then they slept in and missed morning roll call. Again.


	5. Thursday: Bonds/Family/Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin/Leo/Niles. Early morning cuddles after an implied night of fun, because why not? Cuddles for everyone! Also light angst because sad thoughts.

“Odin, could you move?” Odin blearily peeked an eye open, confused. Leo cleared his throat and added, “My arm is growing numb.” 

“Oh! My apologies, Lord Leo-” Odin declared, or tried to until a yawn interrupted him. He shifted off Leo’s arm, allowing the prince to shake some feeling back into it. 

Niles chuckled drowsily against the back of Odin’s neck. Craning his head back to see properly, Odin noted how the pre-dawn light, let in through Leo’s bedroom window, complemented Niles’ dark skin. But then, Odin would think that any sort of lighting looks good on Niles.

Feeling Leo press his back against Odin’s chest, the mage slid his arms around his liege and pulled him as close as possible. He felt Niles slide an arm across his side, purposefully ticklish no doubt, in order to embrace both Odin and Leo as much as the outlaw could.

Thinking back, Odin knew that he’d been serving Leo for fewer years than Niles. Yet, even when Niles and Leo’s relationship developed, initially, Odin remained as only a retainer and confidante. It wasn’t until this past year that he admitted to feelings for them, not entirely surprised when they felt the same, and Odin couldn’t be happier. Even with political and moral turmoil in the castle, their relationship was like a rock that kept them steady in the storm.

Yet in those moments where Odin longed for home, he wondered how his family would feel about his choices. They had known that he was leaving on a quest; with the time and the option to do so, he didn’t want them mistaking his disappearance for death. But time passed back home as it did here, or so Odin assumed. Years have passed. How were they even doing these days? What would they think if they knew Odin was serving a kingdom ruled by evil? Sure, his liege was doing his best to make things right, but Leo could only do so much.

What would his family think of his lovers? Would they approve? Odin frowned as he considered. Mother and father and uncle and cousin were all open-minded, yet scenarios of rejection ran through Odin’s head during his worst nights. Surely, even the most prudish members of court couldn’t reject that Odin loved a prince, but what about Niles? What about the fact that he was with two partners, and not one?

Wet kisses mouthed against his neck pulled Odin away from his worrisome thoughts. He shivered, and felt Niles smile against his skin. 

“What’s wrong, love? You became tense,” Niles whispered, his breath hot and gentle against Odin’s ear.

“Dark thoughts saw fit to plague me, but your affection has beat them back,” Odin assured. Niles sighed, nibbling Odin’s ear briefly before burrowing his face in the mage’s short, blonde hair.

“Let me know if you need anything else beat back today,” the outlaw muttered, already half-dozing. It made Odin feels so loved and trusted to see Niles relaxing easily around him. Niles didn’t relax around many people, as a rule.

“Do tell us if you ever wish to talk about it,” Leo murmured, voice so low that Odin almost missed it. With a smile, the mage peppered a few soft kisses against his liege’s head.

“Of course, my love,” Odin promised, “But for now, let us rest while the day grants us time.”

Something that sounded like agreement escaped the prince, and Odin was content to snuggle between them both. Part of him wished they could stay like this forever, cuddled together, warm and feeling safe before the stress of the day began.

Cuddled like a trio of spoons, and the thought made Odin giggle. Then he yelped softly when Niles nipped his ear.

“Shhh, tryin’ t’sleep,” the outlaw mumbled. Odin sighed dramatically, but decided against pursuing the matter further. A sleeping Niles was a rare thing, at one point in time. In the ensuing silence, Odin’s mind returned to thoughts of Ylisse.

Did he even want to return? Here in Nohr, Odin had found love, and Leo and his siblings were doing their secretive best to make things better. It was exactly the kind of place that needed a dark hero. Yet his family was back in Ylisse. Odin and his childhood friends traveled there to save their world. How could he not return, after all he went through in the past? Even if Odin did return, he knew he’d be breaking hearts, and he wasn’t sure if he could live with that guilt. Neither Leo nor Niles didn’t deserve such loss.

“Odin,” Leo uttered, startling Odin out of his latest thoughts, “What’s wrong?” When Odin just shook his head, Leo sighed. There was a moment of quiet, and Odin almost thought his prince had fallen asleep again when Leo added, in a tone so soft it was hardly a whisper, “We will always be here for you, Odin. Don’t forget that.”

“Thank you,” Odin responded, keeping his own voice low. He wouldn’t be surprised if Leo brought up his recent insecurity at some point, but maybe by then, Odin would know what to say. He wished so badly he could tell his liege of his mission, and he was determined to do so. Someday.

Nuzzling into Leo’s messy hair, Odin closed his eyes and sought what rest he could still claim.


	6. Friday: Fear/Security

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owain/Noire/Brady. Comforting each other during the apocalyptic past, and making a promise not initially kept.

“Goodnight, cousin,” Owain called over his shoulder as he entered his familiar tent, closing it up securely before joining his tent-mates. Late evening made even the dim light of their candle near-useless, and Owain knew they would be heading out again just before the sun rose. But he would gladly do so to support his cousin. After all, if Lucina could reach Naga’s temple, maybe they could stop Grima and the Risen and save the world! The thought of such heroism made him giddy, even with the constant, soul-crushing anxiety of living in an apocalypse.

Inside the tent, Brady and Noire were already under blankets. At first, Owain thought they were asleep; but as he snuggled into the space between them, he heard Brady groggily grumble, “Took ya long enough.”

“My apologies, Sir Brady, Lady Noire,” Owain purred, rolling onto his back so that he could wrap an arm around each partner, “But my dark presence is here once more, to ward off the evils of the night.”

“Owain,” Noire’s uneasy whisper immediately grabbed Owain’s attention, “D-do you think this will work?”

“Of course! We always fit under the blan--”

“Not that,” Brady grumbled, slightly more awake now. “We were talkin’ before ya got here, and what if this don’t work? What if Naga doesn’t talk to Lucina?”

Owain hesitated. They didn’t have a backup plan if this one failed, aside from ‘survive’. But he didn’t want his lovers worrying, even if they were pinning all their hopes on this one thing. “I’m sure she will. My cousin is of the exalted bloodline, so of course great Naga will see fit to communicate with her!”

“YOU DARE BRUSH ASIDE OUR CONCERNS?!” Noire barked, making both Owain and Brady startle. Owain hadn’t realized she was that anxious, but then again, he’d been burying his own fears and putting up a brave face. Just like Gerome, and Inigo, and many others, or so he assumed.

“WE SHALL NEED MORE THAN EMPTY WORDS IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE ON THIS FUTILE QUEST!” Noire continued, sitting up properly to glare down upon them. Her ire was mainly directed at Owain, but Brady was definitely cowering, too. 

Her next bout of shouting was interrupted by a familiar, and deeply concerned, voice right outside their tent, “Noire, are you alright?” Lucina poked her head inside, expression matching her worried tone.

“Oh, s-sorry!” Noire squeaked, all traces of her darker side gone. But Lucina just shook her head and smiled sadly.

“It’s ok, Noire. I know our mission might not work. But I’m determined to try, and with you and everyone else by my side, I don’t intend to fail. Try to get some sleep, ok?” Lucina’s head disappeared from their tent, and presumably, she went back on watch.

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then Noire sighed and settled back against Owain’s side, at which point Owain and Brady relaxed.

“See, love?” Owain murmured, kissing the top of Noire’s lovely locks, “All we have is hope, and each other, and we shall see this through.” 

Noire didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she nodded all the same. Reaching across to grasp Brady’s hand, she whispered, “N-no matter what happens, let’s stick together.”

“I’d never leave either of ya,” Brady promised, kissing first Noire’s fingers, then Owain’s cheek. Owain smiled, cuddling them as he tried to put aside his own doubts. Naga would give Lucina a solution, and they would be fine. Their world wasn’t beyond saving yet, or so Owain prayed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last thing Owain remembered was charging the swirling vortex of the portal, running pell-mell beside childhood friends. He remembered Lucina leading the way, borrowed mask already worn to hide her identity. He remembered Brady and Noire, struggling to keep up with their healthier friends, and Owain remembered how he slowed down to stay by their side. He remembered the screams of the Risen on their heels, the angry roar of Grima in the distance. 

He remembered falling, and blacking out, in some unfamiliar forest. With a groan, Owain pushed himself up, taking note of the weird trees, and foreign birdsong, and sun shining from the canopy. As he stood and took note of his surroundings, he began to fear. Where was everyone else? Where was Lucina? Where were Brady and Noire? Where was anyone at all?

Owain pushed on through the forest, searching. He was in denial of a fact that would make itself clearer and clearer with every passing moment, every minute and hour spent seeking a familiar face, every call met with silence. Days, weeks, even months later, this fact would see him sobbing, secluding himself along the road or in an inn or wherever reality saw fit to greet him.

Despite their promise, Noire and Brady were nowhere to be found. He was alone, and they were alone, separated across a world they’d never gotten to know.


	7. Saturday: Free Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owain/Noire/Inigo/Brady IN FATES, the not-musical.I’ve had an idea like this for awhile, with more of the Awakening second-gens going to Fates. The additional two Awakening characters could also be retainers, and there could be a three-retainer system instead of two. One of those third retainers is Nyx, because she’s awesome and deserves a story role that makes more sense for including her in Fates, and she is a retainer to Xander. Noire, aka Sable, would be one of Camilla’s retainers. Brady, aka Zack, would be one of Leo’s retainers. Elise wouldn’t have a third retainer, simply due to being too young to have chosen/received a third one yet, and also because I couldn’t think of a third retainer for her whoops. Most of this doesn’t factor into this ficlet, but eh. Also, just realized while I was putting this chapter up, that I answered the Free prompt with them literally having a Free Day off. Dang, son. Also, if I ever do this again, I might change Brady’s alias.

It was, as Odin might have said, the fated evening. Laslow and Sable were already waiting in the former’s room, catching up on the most recent news. The war with Hoshido was becoming more and more likely with each passing day; yet their mission, their purpose in coming to this land, had almost no progress done. 

A knock at the door interrupted their frustrated conversation. Laslow went to answer it, and though he expected it to be their partners, he was ready if Xander or Peri or someone else suddenly needed him. It wouldn’t be the first time that a night spent together had to end because of duty.

Laslow barely had time to relax as Odin’s sudden hug made him stumble back. Laughing, Laslow stepped back into the room, hugging Odin back and making way for Zack to finally enter.

“My apologies for our lateness, but Lord Leo required our counsel,” Odin explained, in-between peppered kisses all around Laslow’s face. 

“It’s fine,” Laslow laughed, meeting Odin’s lips for a moment, “Come on, we were just chatting about politics.”

“That’s all anyone yammers about these days,” Zack complained, though he and Odin follow Laslow to the bed. It was the only furniture in his room where the four could sit or lay side-by-side together. As usual, Odin immediately claimed the center of the bed, nearly displacing Sable in his enthusiasm. 

“H-hey, be careful, Odin,” Sable chided, shortly before accepting an apology kiss.

“Forgive me, Lady Sable?” Odin purred, and Noire smiled.

“O-only if you cuddle me,” and Odin immediately, gently, pulled Noire into his arms, peppering her with kisses as he did to Laslow earlier.

Laslow settled at Odin’s left, watching Zack claim his right. With everyone properly situated, Laslow casually hooked an arm around one of Odin’s and lay against him, voice lowering, “Still no sign of our quarry, hm?”

“Not a single lead worth anything,” Zack grumbled, “and we gotta be careful searchin’, what with some people gettin’ suspicious.”

“Niles and Beruka?” Sable guessed, and when Zack and Odin both nodded, she frowned, “M-maybe it’s a good thing that we c-can’t find anything right now.”

“But it’s been years,” Laslow groaned, staring up at the ceiling in dismay, “We’ve been undercover for years, and yet no trace of this dragon child. Meanwhile, this country is heading towards a brutal and unnecessary war, and what little we do behind the scenes under our lieges is… well, it’s not much help. It’s barely anything. I keep worrying that we’ll die here, serving an evil kingdom, in futile search of the child of a mad dragon.”

“Don’t despair, my loves. Perhaps these troubling events will bring the information we seek,” Odin guessed, and leaned over to kiss Laslow’s cheek gently before adding, “It is only a hunch, but perhaps, when we finally meet Corrin…”

“You think that royal locked in the tower’s the person we’re lookin’ for? That’d explain a lot,” Zack admitted, brows furrowed in frustration.

“I g-guess we’ll have to wait a little while longer,” Sable sighed. Re-settling against Odin, she reached out to grasp both Laslow’s and Zack’s hands, squeezing for comfort. 

“That’s assuming Corrin is who we’re after,” Laslow grumbled, about to continue when Odin interrupted with a kiss.

“Come now, Laslow of the Azure Skies. We have cause for hope, so let us relax and enjoy this rare evening of fated freedom!”

“I wouldn’t say fated,” Laslow mumbled, but smiled despite himself, “But fine. All this serious talk is getting to me, it seems. Maybe I’ll start to look more like Zack,” he added teasingly, to which Zack narrowed his already-narrow eyes.

“What’re you implyin? Just ‘cause I ain’t a pretty boy like you-”

“Hey now,” Odin laughed, kissing both men on the cheek, “You’re both handsome!” 

Sable just shook her head at their antics, “I think we’re b-biased, Odin.”

“Yeah, you’re one to talk,” Laslow chuckled, “How can we not argue when in the company of our beautiful boyfriend and glorious girlfriend?” Odin’s freckled cheeks turned pink, though Sable covered her face, partly embarrassed and partly hiding a giggle. 

“That was terrible, even for you,” Zack muttered, though his earlier irritation was already gone. His thumb rubbed idle circles against the back of Sable’s hand, which he still held firmly but gently. When Odin began peppering kisses against his cheek, Zack good-naturedly pushed his face away with his free hand, “Alright, alright, I get it, I’m loved, and ya like kisses.”

“Are you loved?” Sable murmured. At Zack’s confused look, she leaned up and kissed him softly, adding, “M-maybe we need a reminder.”

“Just so long as we aren’t too loud again,” Zack mumbled, face flushing at Sable’s intense expression.

Laslow smiled, pressing against Odin to make sure he was good and trapped between the three, as opposed to trying to cuddle again, “Let’s not waste any more of our limited time, then,” he purred. Odin swallowed, but nodded, and their night was well-spent.


End file.
